by Faye Byrd
I consider his words for only a second before I respond. “No, and I hope Easton doesn’t think so either. We’ve been a family since day two; it’s been natural and easy. It took her a little longer than me to accept the us aspect, but since she has, she’s been all in, so I truly hope she’s all in for this, too.”
The fucker starts laughing at me. Full-on belly holding guffaws, and it pisses me the fuck off. I lean farther across the table, my jaw tight. “What the fuck are you laughing at?”
He tries to rein it in and eventually succeeds while I sit there and fume. “Oh, Trystan,” he says, wiping at his eyes like it was that fucking funny. “Don’t be so unsure of yourself … or her. It’s been clear since the barbeque that this is where you two were headed. Frankly, I’m surprised it took this long.” He shakes his head. “Stubborn kids.” Then he gets serious, jabbing his pointer finger in my direction. “But consider yourself warned. I don’t ever expect you to hurt my daughter or my grandsons.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. They’re everything to me,” I say sincerely, looking him dead in his eyes. Then I smirk. “Or our future children.”
His eyes widen, and I grin, pleased with myself. When he recovers, the mirth is obvious. “I love grandbabies. The more, the merrier.”
I chuckle and blow out a breath, rubbing my hands up my thighs. Now it’s time to get to the tough part; the part that makes me so unsure. Rubbing the back of my neck, I mumble, “I sorta already booked the wedding.”
His brows shoot into his hairline, and he whistles lowly. “Damn, boy, you sure are pushing your luck, huh?”
I sigh, fucking defeated. “I want it to be taken care of before Cam’s transplant. It’s um … uh … a destination wedding.”
“Oh yeah?” he asks, that fucking mustache twitching away.
“Yeah and I’d like to invite you, Melissa, Weston and Ryder.” I look out the window. “If she says yes, that is.”
“Why don’t you just give me the details, and I’ll make sure the right people are informed,” he says, giving me a lifted brow.
I fill him in on my plan and the more I talk, the bigger his smile gets.
“I can see you’ve given this a lot of thought, son, except for the asking her two days before part. No wonder you’re so unsure. That’s a big surprise to drop on a woman,” he observes, shaking his head with a chuckle.
“I know, Harold, but Easton isn’t a frills and thrills girl. She likes to live in the moment. If she wants to marry me, I don’t think the when or where will be a problem,” I say, trying to sound confident, when really, I’m anything but.
I’m a nervous, doubtful wreck. Every time I think I know she’ll say yes, the doubt creeps back in and nearly suffocates me.
He takes a sip of his coffee. “Well, son, you’re in luck then, because I think she feels exactly the same. I’ll book the trip, and at worst, we’ll just have a family vacation with our grandsons,” he says with a shrug. “Now go, get your ducks in a row.” He waves me away.
“Later,” I say as I stand. “I appreciate you being supportive.”
I make one more stop to pick up precious cargo before heading back to fill Amelia in on my plan. To say she’s excited is an understatement.
Later that week, the final phase of my plan comes into reality with Cameron’s visit with Dr. Logan. I’ve put off approaching Easton with the “vacation” idea, as I want everything she’ll ever have to worry about taken care of beforehand.
David and I discussed the trip last week, and at today’s visit, we’ll know whether Cameron will need one final transfusion to keep him healthy until the transplant. As usual, we’re called back by Estella and led to an exam room. After helping the boys onto the table, I take my usual seat.
David comes in with a warm smile not five minutes later. “Cam, Blake, how are my young men doing today?”
Blake shrugs. “I good. We went to the park yesterday.”
Cam nods beside his brother. “And Daddy make pizza last night.”
David laughs at their cuteness as he steps closer to do Cam’s physical exam. When he’s done, he turns to me. “Cam’s levels are okay, but since we’re talking an out-of-state trip, I would like to see him have another transfusion. Tomorrow even, if it’s something you can do.”
“Is there a reason for the rush? Is something wrong?” I ask, sitting forward, afraid for my son.
“No, no,” David assures, holding up his hands. “I only meant that if we can schedule him for tomorrow, I’ll skip this blood test and we’ll do one Friday instead. The results will be back by Monday.”
I place my hand on my thundering chest and nod. “You had me scared there for a second. But yeah, that sounds good. He always seems at his peak right after a transfusion.”
“He very well is,” David responds with a nod. “I’ll text you with the appointment time after I finish with my patients for the day.”
“Sounds good.” I give him a smile and move to help the boys down. “Come on, dudes, we’re done here.”
“No, we not,” Blake says, leaning away from my hands. “Cam gots to get his blood done, or he get sick.”
An ache moves through my chest at the thought of a three-year-old ever having to worry about anything like that. I sigh and pluck Blake from the table. “Not today, bud. We’ll take him to get new blood tomorrow.”
“Oh, like before?” he asks, looking at me so seriously with those big blue eyes. “He not have to stay, though?”
I hold my other arm out to Cam, which he steps right into. “No, dude. Cameron won’t be staying this time.”
My heart aches for them with the transplant looming, but I hope to make the two weeks between now and then a couple they’ll remember. As well as a three-year-old can, anyway.
By Friday night, I’m wiped out by all the secrecy over the last couple of weeks, but my son has had his transfusion and everything I’ve been planning is finally ready to be unveiled. I’m a man on a mission. It’s time to convince Easton that a family vacation is the perfect way to wind down before we face Cam’s biggest battle yet.
Once I’ve read the boys to sleep, I make my way to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses, then join Easton on the couch. She’s leaned against the arm with her head resting back as I approach.
“Tough day?” I ask, opening the wine and pouring her a glass.
“Not really, just winding down,” she answers, watching me intently.
I hold out her glass. “This should help then.”
“Perfect, thank you.” She smiles and takes the glass, putting it directly to her lips, watching me watch her.
I groan. “Why does everything you do have to be so fucking sexy?” I pour my own glass and take a seat beside her.
She flutters her lashes dramatically. “I guess I’m just a sexy kind of girl.” She winks and takes another sip, her eyes closing as she savors the flavor.
I can’t not look at her as I bring my own glass to my lips. “Mmm, a perfect way to end the day.”
She runs her finger down my chest. “I think there might be a better end than this.”
“I like the way you think.” I lean in and press my lips to hers.
The wine mixed with her natural taste is seductive, slowly pulling me away from my intentions. Our tongues push and slide together in a sensual dance of love and passion. This is who we are. Two souls meant to be together. With that thought in mind, I pull back and remember my mission.
“I love you, Easton.” I punctuate it with another small kiss.
She smiles a beaming smile. “I love that you love me. I don’t know how I lived this long without it … your love,” she says, her eyes scorching me.
“You’ll never have to again,” I assure her, and I mean it more than she may realize. This woman has owned me since the day I laid eyes on her. I may not have realized it right away, but now that I do, I see how far back it goes. Just how much she’s meant to me the whole time.
I reach for her glass a
nd set it on the end table along with mine, then I turn back and grab her hands between mine. “I’ve done something,” I confess.
Her brows rise. “Oh? A good something or a bad something?”
I smile to reassure her. “A good something. A fucking fabulous something, actually. As long as you go along with my master plan.”
She leans closer, her gaze intense. “Why don’t you fill me in on this master plan, then?”
I kiss her again, softly this time. “I booked us a family vacation.”
Her eyes go wide. “A family vacation?”
“Yes. I’ve taken care of everything. Please, just say yes.” I kiss her again, lingering for a moment.
“When?” she asks, though she doesn’t seem very alarmed.
“Next week,” I reply. “We leave Wednesday and come back Sunday. I’ve already spoken to Ryder about work, and with Cam just having a transfusion, he’s been cleared for travel.”
“I thought Cam’s results wouldn’t be back until Monday,” she says, tilting her head, questioning.
I nod. “That’s technically true, but David expects his results will be favorable. Of course we’ll be sure, or I’ll cancel the trip.”
She pushes close and nips at my top lip. I open, inviting her in as she fists my hair and delivers a kiss I can feel all the way down my spine. When she pulls away, she utters one word.
“Yes.”
3 Changing Lanes
Trystan
“Monday morning at nine?” I confirm, a rumble of nerves making their presence known. “And if she says no? Do we have a backup plan?”
“Trystan, you realize the paperwork we’ve filed states your wedding date is Saturday, October 28. If that doesn’t happen, it renders our original filing inaccurate; therefore, our court date is invalid,” he says in his usual lawyer-y way. “Now, with that being said, I want you to know you have a very fair judge who has paid attention to your family’s plight in the news. I might even venture to say she was happy to have been handed this case and gave us exactly what we requested. Please, don’t mess this up.”
“No fucking pressure, right John?” I chuckle uneasily before taking a deep breath and releasing all the uncertainty with it. “She’s going to say yes, and we’re going to see you Monday morning.”
“Of course you are,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “I’ve never known you to go after something and not attain it, and I doubt this time will be any different.”
“This time is different, though,” I reply, my mind jumping to a future I can already imagine. “It’s one of the most important things I’ll ever do.”
“I agree,” he says, clearing his throat. “Even I’ve been blown away by the bond between you and Easton. I assure you, in a case such as this, I never expected this to be the outcome. A one in a billion chance.”
The boys storm through the back door with Blue hot on their heels. “Daddy, I hungry,” Cam says, rubbing his belly.
“One sec, bud,” I say holding up a finger. “Look, John, I appreciate everything you’ve done so far, but I have to run. The boys are ready for lunch.”
He chuckles into the line. “I’ll see you Monday.”
“Ditto,” I reply before ending the call.
“All right, dudes, you know what to do,” I say, herding them toward the half-bath off the family room. “I’ll have lunch plated by the time you’re back.”
They scurry away, and I grab a few bowls from the cabinet, filling each one with my homemade chicken noodle soup. After placing them on the bar, I grab some spoons and a box of crackers from the cabinet. Not my usual preference, but I just haven’t had time lately to make a new batch.
“I clean, Daddy,” Blake announces as he trudges back into the kitchen, holding up his hands. “See.”
Chuckling, I lift him up and take a closer look. “Looks good, dude.” As I’m sitting him on his stool, Cam races into the room. I lean down and swoop him up next. “How're your hands?”
“All clean,” he says, looking toward the bar. “Is that my soup?”
I tweak his nose as I settle him on the stool and then round the bar to take the seat across from them “Sure is, bud.”
After a few silent minutes of slurping, Blake sets his spoon in his bowl with a clink. “How long ‘til we help you, Daddy?”
I smirk at his cute self and slide my half-empty bowl aside so I can look at them very seriously. Every day this week, we’ve had this talk. On one hand, I’m terrified they’re going to mess up the whole thing with a slip of the tongue, but on the other, I can’t imagine them not being a part of the plan.
“Two more days, dude,” I say, holding up two fingers. “Tomorrow we’ll get on a plane and take our trip, then the next day is when we’ll ask Mama, okay? Can you guys keep quiet just a little longer?”
“We be quiet, Daddy,” Cam says after wiping his arm across his lips. “Won’t we, Blake?”
He nods all big and exaggerated. “Yep, we not say nothin’.”
I breathe easier. “Okay, dudes. Daddy’s counting on you. It’ll be here before we even know it.”
“Will you show us the wing again?” Cam asks quietly.
I smile and get up, ruffling his hair on the way by. “Sure thing, dude. Be right back.”
Only a few minutes later I’m back and opening the black velvet box.
Our plane touches down Wednesday afternoon amid a flurry of excitement for the boys and nerves for me. Not that I’m really worried anymore, it’s just the not knowing. Tomorrow evening all that changes. I’m going to ask Easton to become my wife.
And she’s going to accept.
I can’t contemplate a different outcome.
With the magic of Disney on my side, I intend to leave here as her husband.
We make our way to the happiest place on earth, the boys buzzing in the back seat. After checking into our villa, we head to the Magic Kingdom where we have dinner and catch the fireworks show.
Later that night after the boys are asleep, Easton and I are lying in bed in our usual positions. Me on my back and her pushed against my side, her head on my chest. I’m working my fingertips across her scalp, massaging deeply. “There’s something I was hoping we could discuss.”
She lifts her head and makes eye contact in the dim lighting. “Yeah? Sounds serious.”
I can’t help myself; I lean down and press my lips to hers for a brief kiss. “Nothing to worry over, I just want to clarify things in the present.”
“In the present? You make it sound like some ancient mystery.” She giggles. “Just spit it out, Trystan. I promise not to bite.”
I nibble her collarbone. “What if I want you to?”
“Well in that case …” She leans forward, running her lips up my neck to my lobe, which she takes in between her teeth and pulls.
Chills erupt down my arms, and I move away. “Fuck, Easy. This is not where I was trying to go. Although, when we’re done talking, I won’t be opposed to exploring this further.”
She lifts a perfectly arched brow. “Let’s hear it then.”
I scoot up, repositioning us so that I have her full attention. It’s not like it’s anything bad, but it’s a confirmation of sorts. Settling something between us. Because now, we are an us―and we weren’t then―when we discussed this last.
“I wanted to talk about the um … baby.” I meet her eyes hesitantly. She looks curious, confused. “I know we’ve discussed it before, but—”
“What about the baby,” she asks softly, cutting me off mid-sentence.
“It’s just that when we discussed it before … well, it was before.” I give her a punctuated look so she knows exactly the before to which I’m referring. “You know, before? And well, I think it’s something we need to discuss again … now.”
She looks down at my bare chest, where her fingers caress lightly, before meeting my eyes again. “Okay.” She swallows, and my eyes are drawn to the delicate skin of her throat. “What about the baby?�
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I slowly drag my eyes away from her tantalizing neck and meet her questioning blues. “We’d agreed on a baby before we happened. Only that we’d wait until we knew for sure about Violet. And I know we’re taking precautions now because of the looming transplant, but …” I blow out a breath and push her hair behind her ear. “I want you to know that it’s something I ache for. It’s not just something I’m cool with because you’re ready for another baby.”
Her hand absently rubs across my chest as she contemplates her response. “Honestly, Trystan, I already knew that.” My brows rise, and she rubs at the pucker between them. “Don’t be so doubtful of yourself. Your actions speak clearly, even when you don’t voice things aloud.”
“When Violet was born, I was happy as fuck for Kari and Coop, but I was also a little jealous, if I’m being honest,” I admit, brushing my fingers through her hair. “I could picture us in that same position so clearly, and I want it. I want it bad.”
“I could feel your want from across the room,” she replies, her hand tracing the line of my collarbone. “Please don’t ever think you don’t show your commitment to me, to this, every single day.” She pauses, her brows furrowing. “Is that why you left so abruptly with the boys? I mean, I underst—”
“Shh, baby, no,” I say, cutting her off. “I wasn’t upset jealous, just envious, you know?” My heart starts racing as I consider the truth. She’s giving me the perfect opening to lay it all out and pop the question right fucking now, but I could never do that to my boys. “I was upset when I left the room, though, but it had nothing to do with Violet.”
“Did I do something …” She trails off, her gaze falling to my chest.
“Of course not,” I rush to assure her, tilting up her chin. “It was my own issue, and I’ve spent the last few weeks working through it.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I lick my suddenly dry lips, wondering just how I should respond. “I just …” I fucking sigh. “It upset me to not have a part in the paperwork for Cam’s transplant,” I finally admit. “It hurt.” I place my hand on my chest. “Here.”